


Small Steps

by moeblobmegane



Category: Free!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-10
Updated: 2014-06-10
Packaged: 2018-02-04 03:05:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1763671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moeblobmegane/pseuds/moeblobmegane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fic fill for the prompt: “What If Yamazaki Sousuke was terrible at flirting and he came across like he a big bully because of it?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Small Steps

**Author's Note:**

> Repost from [tumblr](http://moeblobmegane.tumblr.com/post/88244050278/what-if-yamazaki-sousuke-was-terrible-at-flirting-and).
> 
> We don't know much about Sousuke, so I played a game named "What If" where people [prompt me](moeblobmegane.tumblr.com/ask) with ideas of what kind of person he would be. This is one of the answers.  
> (I really wish Sousuke is awkward though. We need more awkward guys.)

"That’s not good enough." Sousuke said with a stern expression, staring right at Makoto where he was sitting by the side of the pool. "You should make use of your height and _those hands_.” He crossed his arms and glowered some more. His eyebrows furrowed in concentration. “Are you sure you’re training properly? Because that was really weak, for _someone with those back muscles_.”

Makoto frowned and nodded timidly before looking back at the pool. “Uh, sorry.” He looked like an abandoned puppy. “I’ll try harder.”

"Just do better." Sousuke sighed and walked away just like that.

"Okay," Makoto muttered, shoulders slumping in dejection. At the other side of the pool, Rin facepalmed and groaned loudly while Nagisa was looking murderous towards the direction of the doors.

\---

"What was that?" Rin asked after practice, when everyone else was out of sight.

Sousuke glanced up at him for a second. “I-” He sighed heavily and sat on the bench beside them. “I couldn’t-” Another sigh. “ _You know_ what happened. I know you know.”

Rin rolled his eyes and sat down beside him. “That was awful.”

"Dude, _I know_.” He groaned. “No need to rub it on my face.”

"What were you even trying to do?" Rin asked curiously. Because really! Sousuke was the farthest from a bully, and he wouldn’t speak like that to a student from another school. He was professional. Most of the time. Unless he’s being distracted by a tall green eyed softie, it seems. "That was a _critique combo_.”

Sousuke hid behind his hands like a preteen protagonist in a shoujo manga. His ears were red. Wow. Rin’s best friend is so far gone, it’s ridiculous. “His _hands_ , Rin. Those hands! And his _back muscles…_ I couldn’t _think_ , Rin. How could I even-“

"Ohgod, were you thinking of perverted thoughts while watching him practice?" Rin inched away and looked utterly offended at that idea. "Sousuke!"

"I WASN’T!" He immediately clarified. "…I mean, not really… perverted." He mumbled, still with his face hidden behind his hands. "They were just nice hands."

“ _Yamazaki Sousuke_ ,” Rin glared him down until he placed down his hands. “Were you or were you not thinking about impure thoughts while looking at Makoto?”

Sousuke stared at him, silently begging him to not make him say it. But Rin was stubborn more than anything, they both knew that. At last, he murmured a quiet “Just a little…?”

"YOU! TAKE THIS!" Rin proceeded to tickle him as punishment.

\---

_This is not going to end well_ , is the only thought in Sousuke’s mind as he stares at the notes written on his arm (hidden by his long sleeves). It was, of course, Rin’s idea to go to Iwatobi and make a plan first before confronting Makoto. His best friend literally ambushed him outside his classroom to write a few lines on his arm.

Rin is a horrible friend.

**[Hey, Tachibana-kun. I really am sorry for everything I’ve said so far.]**

That was understandable, right? It was a nice sentence to start with. Rin was right about that. Sousuke would definitely say that. But then-

**[I just couldn’t stop myself from bullying you just a bit. Because I like you so much, my heart fills with words I can’t say and my brain just fills the gap your charm makes inside me. Your bright smile blinds my rationale and I can’t-]**

What the actual— Rin is _worse_ than him, probably. Who says those lines outside of romance novels, anyway?! Seriously!

"Yamazaki-kun?"

As expected of his luck, Tachibana Makoto just suddenly appeared behind him out of nowhere. Ugh. “Ah- ah-” He whirled around so fast he almost gave himself whiplash. “Tachibana,”

"Are you looking for someone?" He asked with an amiable smile. His eyes were staring right at Sousuke with that softness that makes him want to roll around a bunch of flowers.

Damnit. Rin is rubbing on him. Stupid overly romantic best friend. “As a captain,” He started, not squeaking _at all._ “As a captain, I-” Why is he even bringing out his captain status right now? He went here to ask him out! Sousuke, come on! You’ve got more strength than this! If you could win a gold medal in all the competitions you join, surely you could have a gold medal in flirting too! You could have an A+ in Flirting 101! Sousuke! You can do this! “I actually-“

"Yes?" Makoto just waited patiently, but his smile was slowly turning into a worried frown. He probably thought Sousuke was here to talk badly about him again.

"You should lift some weights." _What. the. hell. Sousuke._

Makoto blinked in confusion for a full 10 seconds before he nodded slowly. “I- could- uh, If you think it would help,”

"Of course it would." Sousuke said haughtily on instinct. _Ohgod._ “You should train your back muscles more.” _Because they_ _are beautiful and you look like a model and ugh. Why is he so bad at this?_

"Thank you?" Makoto looked really confused as he nodded. "Is there anything else?"

"Nah," _No. Sousuke. Stop._ "I was just jogging in the neighborhood." _This far away? Who even believes that?_

Makoto offered him a small smile. “You’re really hard working.” He said quietly, like it was a secret. “Thank you for your advice.” And then he walked away with a final wave.

_Yamazaki Sousuke is an idiot._

\---

"WHY DID YOU NOT FOLLOW THE SCRIPT?!" Rin looked so frustrated and angry and ready to pop an artery soon. "Sousuke! It was-"

Sousuke glared at him readily. “ _Your bright smile blinds my rationale?_ Rin, that would be embarrassing to say!” He crossed his arms and looked challengingly at his best friend. “You’re not good at this either. You’ve never been even on a date.”

"Hey!" Rin pushed at his sides indignantly. "I focus on my studies and in swimming." He answered primly.

"Yeah, right." Sousuke raised an eyebrow disbelievingly.

"We’re not talking about me, anyway." Rin steered the conversation away from his own life. "You know, you should start small. Something you can’t fail at."

Sousuke’s raised eyebrow rose up just a bit more in question. “Hm?”

With a triumphant smile, Rin pulled Sousuke’s phone from the top of the shelf, brandishing it with the kind of confidence that stems from having done something he is extremely proud of. That sounds bad. “Ta-da!” He pushed the cellphone at Sousuke, rubbing at his cheek with his index finger. “I input in Makoto’s number and even sent him a message already.”

"You _did not!”_ Sousuke looked, horrified, as Rin clicked at the sent messages, where a [Makoto Tachibana] message is right at the top. [I know a great gym. Wanna come with me?] was written on it. “No. No. Nononono.” He slouched down the bench and stared at the floor in shock. “You are the _worst.”_

"Thank me later." Rin shrugged. "He agreed. He’s asking when."

"But, _Rin!”_

Rin sighed the long suffering sigh of best friend forever listening to love troubles. “I’m gonna leave you with your precious phone. If you don’t want to do it, just tell him I used your phone and to text my phone when he’s free.” He smiled encouragingly and then went out of the clubroom immediately after.

**[From: Tachibana Makoto  
**

**Sure :) When would you go?**

**Are you fine with me? I’ve never been to a proper gym before. I don’t want to be a bother.]**

Sousuke inhaled shakily as he typed in a reply.

**[To: Tachibana Makoto**

**Are you free tomorrow?**

**I’m sorry for how I’ve been acting. You’re a great captain and you swim well, too. You look like you train hard, so I shouldn’t have said those things. Let me make it up to you.**

**Gym tomorrow then lunch?]**

It took him a full hour to compose that text, after numerous drafts and hesitations, but still, right?

_Small steps_. He’s gonna get there.


End file.
